Visual artist leaves legacy for education, and for the greater good

July 3, 2017

“Endings do happen, and thinking about what kind of end, and to what end all that one has accumulated in life should go, is important,” shares Ms Felicia Low (’14), who has made a legacy gift to the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The successful visual artist, and a former recipient of the Lee Kong Chian Scholarship for her doctorate in Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), will be supporting bursaries and scholarships at FASS through her bequest.

Most people tend to shy away from thinking about death, and planning for their own demise, but this is not the case for Ms Low. She shares, “I think it was my work with the elderly with dementia which made me more aware of end-of-life issues. There is an assumed sense of security for the future, which makes more gloomy possibilities somewhat taboo.”

Ms Low nominated NUS in her will because of the positive long-term impact of her gift. She explains, “I wanted to support NUS as I know that there are many local students who face financial challenges, and education should not be denied to anyone just because of financial limitations. I feel that I have the capacity to support the younger generation in this way.”

At the same time, she hopes the beneficiaries will appreciate that they too have a responsibility. “I also believe the individuals who receive these bursaries and scholarships need to know that the money came from someone who believed in their potential to contribute and to transform this financial support into a larger, societal benefit. It is part of a wider cycle of give and take that generates greater growth and greater good,” Ms Low expounds.

In fact, Ms Low has some words of wisdom for the future recipients of her gift. “Use what you have been given well. And find out what is worth doing, so that you can do it well,” she advises.

Her personal experience shaped her decision to nominate FASS students as her beneficiaries. She says, “I trust the standard and rigour of an NUS education and the kind of undergraduates that it produces. I am also very much an arts and social science person, and understand the struggles in gaining recognition and support in this field.”

Ms Low has been a practising visual artist since 1999 and is very successful in her field, receiving the Outstanding Youth In Education Award in 2005 and being selected for the President’s Young Talent Show organised by the Singapore Art Museum in 2009. She is also the founding director of the Community Cultural Development (Singapore) and now teaches at the University of Social Sciences and The School of The Arts.

For information on making a gift to NUS, contact us at 1800-DEVELOP (1800-338-3567) or email askdvo@nus.edu.sg